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He aims to complete the challenge unsupported, meaning he will be going it alone and carrying all of his kit with him along the way. The current world record stands at 29 days, 18 hours and 25 minutes. Sean hopes to knock four days off the record by cycling about 180 miles each day, beginning on August 5.

The 36-year-old said: “I’m looking to not only break the world record for the fastest cycle across Europe but also to have the opportunity to meet some incredible people along the way.

“It’s an uncertain time across Europe at the moment and we rarely hear reports of how nice people can be, only the bad stuff.

“I hope that I will be able to spend some time along the way chatting to the people that I meet and finding out more about the lives our neighbours lead.

“I also hope to try to use this journey to encourage more people to not only embrace an active lifestyle but to consider travel by bicycle as it is just the best way to see the world.”

He added that the adventure would be good “training” ahead of another challenge in the UK in October - which he did not want to talk about yet.

The distance he will ride – from Cabo de Roca in Portugal to Ufa in Russia – is more than double the distance ridden at the Tour de France, where competitors took on 2,200 miles over 23 days.

He will also be relying on the people he meets across Europe to help him break the world record, especially in remote places where he may be without food or water for several days.